The Roc Hopper

Most of its races have come at Class 5, the entry level of British racing, where it has drawn a blank in all five attempts at that grade. That is the level where horses are expected to be most competitive, so going winless there does underline how much The Roc Hopper needs things to click. Its recent run of form reads 8-2-–-7-6-–, and that second place is the one flicker of promise in an otherwise frustrating sequence — it shows the horse can at least get close on its day, even if converting that into a win has proved elusive.

The Roc Hopper is trained by Rebecca Menzies, who operates out of Morden in County Durham. Menzies has had a productive season with 36 winners sent out from her yard, which tells you this is a capable operation that knows how to get horses winning. The challenge now is finding the combination of conditions and race that finally unlocks something in this horse. At seven years old, time is not exactly on its side, but yesterday's run is a reminder that it is still in the mix and the yard — sorry, the team — are clearly willing to keep trying.